


Cat Comes to Dinner

by orphan_account



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Max learned pig-latin and everyone's suffering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 08:25:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8571400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Catarina not-so-secretly loves the Lightwood-Bane house.





	

“Ould-way…oo-yay…” Max paused, his eyebrows drawn together in intense concentration. “Ass-pay-“ He paused, cracking himself up at getting away with saying ‘ass,’ before continuing, “the ettuce-lay? Lease-pay?”

Rafael grumbled as he opened the fridge.

“You the one who taught him pig-latin?” Catarina asked.

He groaned louder, “Yeees…”

She chuckled, watching as an apron-clad Magnus slapped a hand on Rafael’s upper back with a patronizing, “no snacking before dinner, you teenaged heathen.”

Rafael just groaned with even more panache. Catarina had a theory that groaning was the bilingual thirteen-year-old’s real first language. She watched as he plopped down on the bar-stool to her left with an endearing pout. “I was only-”

“Heathen.” Magnus repeated with a grin. His eyebrows did a jig.

Catarina continued to be unsurprised by the delight Magnus took in teasing his sons.

Magnus and Max wore matching sky-blue aprons (though Magnus’ was covered in significantly less food), seasoning the chicken and preparing the mashed potatoes and salad while Rafael and Catarina pretended not to be annoyed by the lethal combination of Max’s Ig-Latin-Pay and his papa’s tuneless whistling.

Catarina patted Rafe’s thigh, deeply sympathetic, before asking Magnus where his husband was. “You said Alec would be running late? Where’s he at?”

Magnus sighed theatrically. “Not sure, I'm afraid. No cell service, wherever it is.” Catarina watched with lazy interest as Magnus reached his long arms across his youngest for the seasoning salt. Max was concentrating hard on de-seeding a tomato, standing on an elephant-shaped stool on the tips of his little blue toes. “I haven’t been able to reach him since earlier this afternoon-“ they heard the front door shut. “Ah! Is that my magnificent hUBBY?!” He was shouting by the end, and Catarina heard Rafael snort in amusement. He was already so much like Alec it was absurd. Max gasped excitedly, ready to shout a greeting.

“I’m sorry I’m late!” The Magnificent Hubby Himself entered the kitchen with a bag of groceries and a hello-kitty Band-Aid on the back of his right hand. He smiled when he saw their weekly dinner guest. “Hey, Cat.” He swept across the kitchen to take her into a long embrace, warm and sweet as always, before discarding the groceries on the counter beside Rafe.

The family dinner pattern had only evolved slightly over the years; Magnus--working mostly from home these days--would be in the kitchen in the prepping stage, usually texting Alec a grocery list of ingredients and innuendos. The boys were usually weaving in and out of the kitchen to lend a hand, if not trying to talk Catarina into a round of Spoons or Uno, all before Alec’s return, at which point Max would drop whatever he was doing to shout a hearty “HEYA DADDY-O!” while his older brother would smile and half-heartedly bat away his dad’s hand at Alec’s customary hair-ruffling.  
It was an honest joy to watch. Some days, it made Catarina’s heart yearn for a family of her own. One as lively and loving as the Lightwood-Banes.

Alec moved to the sink, standing between Magnus and Max to wash his hands. Catarina watched with a smile as Max asked his dad--in his scratchy, squeaky kid-voice-- how the “owie” on the back of his right hand was. “I think it’s just about healed up, bud. That band-aid-kiss-combo you laid on it this morning must have done the trick.” Alec’s large hand was on little Max’s back, patting him gently and absent-mindedly as he used the other to wet a cloth and wipe off whatever food must have been on Max’s chubby face.

He emptied the grocery bag and leaned over to murmur something--too softly for Catarina to catch--to Magnus, and kissed his cheek. It made Catarina’s eyes soften to witness the look on Magnus’ face as he turned to smile at his husband. In all the centuries she'd known him, Magnus' edges had never been softer. He was radiant.

Before Alexander, Magnus had never been one to talk much of domesticity. Of “settling down.” Catarina always knew he just hadn’t found one to inspire such desires. 

Until now.

It felt nearly rude to watch such a quiet, private moment, and yet Catarina could never seem to help herself. It was an intoxicating feeling; being a part of it all. Like basking in the glow of a setting sun. 

“Cat, did you want something to drink?” Alec asked.

“White wine, if you’ve got it?”

Max tittered. “Ine-way, you say?” 

There was a chorus of groans.


End file.
